What are you doing?

This is probably the question I get asked the most. 

Simply put - eating as clean as I possibly can and working out 3-5x per week. What exactly does that mean? Let me explain....

Eating Clean:

1. NO HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)
2. NO Hydrogenated Fats
3. NO Artificial Sweeteners (No blue, pink or yellow packets!)
4. Very limited processed foods (b/c they normally contain items #1 & #2)
5. Lean Protein & Good Carbs at each meal
6. Meats, Veggies and Fruits are organic when possible/available

That is a very high-level summary of what I do. More details to follow in other postings - there is way too much information and detail to post in one location. The above is just a foundation of what I've incorporated into my life. I'll explain separately my meal frequency and my food log. :D

Exercise: 

First of all, you need to figure out what you like. We're all different and each have different goals. There is no one-size-fits-all for exercise. If you don't enjoy it (somewhat) then you're going to dread having to do it and that will only make it THAT much easier for you to talk yourself out of the workout.

I have found that doing a bunch of cardio and some weights didn't really get me the results I wanted. I went the Jillian Michaels (MY IDOL & GOAL!) route which really emphasizes resistance training with spurts of cardio. You do a "cardio only" day maybe 1-2x per week. The key is to build your muscles and boost your ability to burn calories.

Here is what I do/have done/recommend:

Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred - 3 Levels/25min each - work your way up the levels

Jillian Michaels' Burn Fat-Boost Metabolism - 1 Level/50min

The occasional cardio class - like Turbo Kickboxing

Tabata Sessions - not for the newbie, you need some conditioning

CrossFit - you can modify as a newbie, but I think a good solid foundation is needed first as well

*Check my "Recommendations & Products I Personally Own" Section below for links!

That's it in a nutshell - see, easy! :) As I said above, I'll have separate and specific posts about meal frequency, food logging, food labels, ingredients to watch for and just overall tips and advice.

I hope you found this introduction to be helpful!